155 replies to this topic

[Not A Real RAbbi]

My thoughts on LCT-1M.

It sacrifices a little bit of speed, but is still faster than most lights. The extra half-ton gained by the step down to an XL 180 allows it to mount AMS, and the extra ton saved by SRM-2 over SSRM-2 makes room for the AMS ammo. Still underwhelming, but decent among Locusts. A JR7-D/D(S) can do better, plus jump, for just a few more C-Bills and a tick less speed. I'm going to be trying out this Locust build soon anyway, though.

Same for LCT-1E.

Again with the 180 XL, bringing its tweaked speed down to 160. Still, it's a 26-point alpha. The idea is to alternate the MLs within their range, and add the SLs for knife fights and finishing open/critical mechs. Heat is a bigger factor with this one, so hit-n-run is in the pilot's best interests. Similar comparison with the Jenner, but this time to the JR7-F. No jump, less armor, less flexibility with armament. More speed. Both have ONLY arm hard points, so they're only good for meat-shielding once the arms are gone. Inferior to the counterpart Jenner, at any rate. And again, I'll be putting one of these together soon enough. Expect my bright green-blue idiotic self in the PUG queues soon.

Edited by TheRAbbi, 16 April 2014 - 08:04 AM.

[Mothykins]

Yo, so the 1E with six small pulse Las is like an AC20 Running at you at 150+kmph.

First time out was 400 damage, three kills, five assists.

Stab 'em good.

[Caseck]

Finally back and got my hands on the LCTs. Have to say I am very disappointed. Was expecting the lightest of the light mechs with no jump capability to have more speed than it does.

The LOCUST as is has simply NO DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS that separate it from the other lights. It is wholly unexceptional as it is. It has no jump, no ECM and is limited on engine ratings to speeds that make it fodder for COMMANDOs and SPIDERS. (Both of which can attain equivalent or higher speeds based on engine ratings.) The LOCUST's only distinguishing characteristic is being smaller and carrying less useful weapons load.

Definitely needs a 200 Engine Rating because the one thing the LOCUST needs is the ability to disengage with speed--if it will ever make an adequate scout. A 200 Engine Rating would make it the fastest light in the game, which would make sense because right now it's the smallest.

The LOCUST should be the "Lightest" of the lights--but right now, it only fits that bill in armor and payload. Not in speed.

Even a variant or two that had a 200+ engine rating would be a huge boost.

Edited by Caseck, 25 April 2014 - 08:00 AM.

[Facetious]

Thank you much for this thread, I have had the darndest time trying to think of a way for my Locusts to not seem so useless.

Now I'm thinking the 4ml/dual ams, 1 lpl, and mpl 3srm2 builds all sound like they could be entertaining if nothing else.

This is definitely a mech you play for personal challenge not p2w, but I can get down with that.

[Caseck]

Speed tweak means everything for LCT at the current time. Without it you're really taking on a grudge-match with this mech.

Even with it, it's hard to disengage without a clear speed advantage.

[Sanistus]

I use the 1E with 6spl. It takes a lot of practice, and the locust is very squishy if you don't have speed tweak to outrun other lights with, but I'd say 592 damage ain't bad, for a 20 ton 'mech.

Spoiler

[Azure Kit]

You guys forget the best part of the Locust.

What the cockpit design makes you feel like you're doing.

[Sandwhichishere]

This thread doesn't cover the LCT-PB Pirate Bane HERO model of the Locust.
That's annoying.

[salkeee]

This thread is outdated PB wasnt in game at that time.

[Sandwhichishere]

Jason Vile, on 11 February 2015 - 03:32 PM, said:

You guys forget the best part of the Locust.

What the cockpit design makes you feel like you're doing.

You mean the Raven?, the Locust is more like the Y-wing or A-wing over the X-wing. But speed wise I agree completely

salkeee, on 08 March 2015 - 05:17 AM, said:

This thread is outdated PB wasnt in game at that time.

Do you think it would be better if the thread was updated and posted again?

[Tarogato]

If you have any questions about the Pirate's Bane, I'd head over next door and ask here: http://mwomercs.com/...errated-locust/

That thread is pretty much a thriving community on its own, lots of discussion all the time.

[Shadey99]

Well I have been gone since last year, so I've missed some things such as much broader quirks, new versions of the Locust, and half tons of ammo. That said... All the builds still work just fine. In fact I've played them since coming back Saturday with no adjustments (Which is not true of most of the larger mechs I have).

I did pick up the non-hero Locust addition (I don't have the MC for the Pirate's Bane). I may update this to include all up to date information.

Update:

So my thoughts on the 1E since in a day I got my 1E up to Elite skills and got back into my place on the charts.

First how I've been running my 1E is basically the same as my ML build for the 3M, just with one more laser. I don't have any weapon modules as those didn't exist when I played before and it's really handy to have the range of the MLs rather than having to get up in the face of an enemy to hit them. I used an XL 170 engine I pulled from my unloved 3S, so I was even slower than I'd like as well. However a 170 XL and 6 MLs work perfectly before you give it endo and you can get a 11th heatsink in once it does have endo. I could bump it up to a 190 XL now If I had a spare one, but since I had a lot of 400+ damage rounds last night I don't see a big need right now and that was before speed tweak.

Ok, so how does it play? Like a better 3M. I rarely lose a arm and more I rarely lose both arms, so having all the guns there isn't an issue. I linked the MLs in pairs of 3 so I can fire one bundle or the other, or fire all 6 if I want. Since all the lasers are in the high mounted arms you can hill peak and because each arm is on it's own you can corner peak as well.

I still had the occasional game of nigh instant death, but I also had lots of good rounds where I was basically last one standing or was still standing at the end. One game it was me and a weaponless Misery against a Kit Fox, ECM Cicada, and a Jager. It literally came down to who saw the other first and I turned a blind corner to see the kit fox at the same instant he saw me. We both fired and his weapons got me first as they were pulse lasers and needed less time on target. In another match I got legged fighting a stormcrow and a spider in the early mid game after having lead them back into my allies. Yet legged I still killed another mech and wounded two more, living to see the end of the game having done just under 400 damage.

Edited by Shadey99, 07 April 2015 - 04:09 AM.

[Shadey99]

The guide has been updated to include all current variants and their quirks, so it is back to being a useful guide to playing and building Locusts. Feel free to suggest builds for the new variants, though as the owner of a mastered 1E I'll most likely add 6xML and 6xSPL builds myself soon.

[Dino Might]

Caseck, on 25 April 2014 - 07:55 AM, said:

Finally back and got my hands on the LCTs. Have to say I am very disappointed. Was expecting the lightest of the light mechs with no jump capability to have more speed than it does.

The LOCUST as is has simply NO DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS that separate it from the other lights. It is wholly unexceptional as it is. It has no jump, no ECM and is limited on engine ratings to speeds that make it fodder for COMMANDOs and SPIDERS. (Both of which can attain equivalent or higher speeds based on engine ratings.) The LOCUST's only distinguishing characteristic is being smaller and carrying less useful weapons load.

Definitely needs a 200 Engine Rating because the one thing the LOCUST needs is the ability to disengage with speed--if it will ever make an adequate scout. A 200 Engine Rating would make it the fastest light in the game, which would make sense because right now it's the smallest.

The LOCUST should be the "Lightest" of the lights--but right now, it only fits that bill in armor and payload. Not in speed.

Even a variant or two that had a 200+ engine rating would be a huge boost.

It's size and acceleration are the distinguishing characteristics, and believe you me, they set it apart from the rest. If you play them enough, you will get a feel for some of the tactics that no other mech can pull off as well. The 1E is especially good, and I would say OP at this point.

And it has PLENTY of firepower...

[D U N E]

627, on 22 October 2013 - 09:58 AM, said:

you're probably right. the more i think about it, the more i come to the conclusion: it doesn't matter.

This is becoming my Zen mech. You just... run it. There's no goal, no need to get kills, no need to get high damage.

Just you and the locust... and the speed.

My marvelous mech.

I am necroing this hard, never has there been a truer expression of freedom than in the locust...
Also I accidentally team killed a medium mech once in ma locust, LOCUST THIS IS OUR TIME!

[627]

D U N E, on 27 December 2017 - 06:48 AM, said:

I am necroing this hard, never has there been a truer expression of freedom than in the locust...
Also I accidentally team killed a medium mech once in ma locust, LOCUST THIS IS OUR TIME!

Dude...